Alex Noren of Sweden maintained a two-shot lead at the halfway mark of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Friday in Southampton, Bermuda.
After opening the tournament with a 10-under 61, Noren’s bogey-free 66 in the second round gave him a score of 15-under for the tournament and two ahead of Ryan Moore (64 on Friday), Ryan Brehm (65) and Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira (65).
Noren appeared ready to continue Thursday’s torrid pace with birdies on the first three holes at Port Royal Golf Course. He then ground out 11 straight pars before his final birdies arrived at Nos. 15 and 17.
Noren, 41, owns 10 career victories in Europe but none on the PGA Tour.
Camilo Villegas of Colombia moved into fifth place with an 8-under 63 Friday that pushed him to 12 under for the week. The 41-year-old had an early lead at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico before tying for second; his last tour title came in 2014.
The cut line was projected at 5 under par with the final few groups finishing their rounds Friday afternoon. Sam Bennett, who made waves as an amateur at last April’s Masters before he turned pro, is on track to miss the cut by one shot.
Oliver Betschart, a 15-year-old amateur from Bermuda who qualified for the tournament at his home course, went 73-75 to finish his first PGA Tour start at 6 over. He was the youngest player in an official PGA Tour event in the past 10 years.
–Field Level Media
